I've had a couple of bad experiences with this branch of Giraffe. They appear to market themselves as a family friendly restaurant but a friend was informed by their manager that they aren't family friendly - they are a regular restaurant that allows families. ALWAYS a long wait, often bad service - food is overpriced in my opinion and my friend's family was treated appallingly and made to sit outside in the freezing cold just because their toddler had a tantrum (and who hasn't had that happen to them). I'd skip Giraffe and do Strada or Wagamama's instead! read more

Out of all of the Giraffes I've been to, this one has to be my favourite, mainly for the location. Opening a Giraffe, as well as many other decently priced restaurants in the South Bank, just below Royal Festival Hall, was a brilliant idea as it gives concert and event goers the perfect place for that pre-show dinner. This Giraffe is certainly an excellent choice for such an occasion. There is always a good variety of choices on the menu, suited to most tastes, and the service is usually quite friendly and efficient. There are often special to be found if you register on their website and there is one day in the week (I forget if it's Monday or Wednesday) when wine is buy one get one free, which is well worth it! read more

First, I must say I was very grateful for the company of the wonderful friends who took me to Giraffe. In no way did I wish to spoil their evening by complaining. The wine was very welcome, and the view of the Esso Building and South Bank promenaders was wonderful. However. the falfafel :-) First, I foolishy (and selfishly) took the entire piece from the Mezze dish and ate it. Then, feeling queasy, I stopped chewing, and waited until a suitable interval when I could go to the toilet to dispose. I spoke to the kitchen staff, saying I did not wish to make a fuss in front of my friends, but that I had found the falafel unpleasant. I was offered fresh falafel to taste, which I agreed was absolutely fine, but they also conceded there was something very wrong with the falafel on our plate. I was given no explanation, except to find no charge for the Mezze on the bill. So for that, Giraffe, nil points. read more

Excellent calamari. fabulous spaghetti really really great duck noodles dish and amazing friendly service really great family dining experience. Waffle banana desert was amazing too. Curry dish was spicy but not well balanced. read more

This restaurant is completely average. I came here with a big group of people, and it's good for many different tastes. It's definitely something I would get in the States. So I suppose in that sense, it's kind of a refreshing return to familiarity. It's pretty much American fusion with a number of ethnic foods, and there is definitely something for everyone. I don't have any qualms about it, but it just didn't stand out to me as being as innovative as it makes itself out to be. read more

Had a breakfast burrito which was cheap, but wasn't that great. It wasn't definitely wasn't spicy enough. I would skip breakfast here. Maybe lunch/dinner are better. read more

I've been here twice and on both occasions came away wondering why, every time I walk past the place, there is a huge queue waiting to get in. Giraffe on the South Bank has an enviable location and they seem to take it for granted that they'll be busy regardless of quality of food or service. On my first visit we didn't even get any food. It was a late night after a visit to the National Theatre and it put a dampener on the whole evening. We were told that they were still open but that we'd have to be quick and we were left standing there for 10 mintes trying to get the attention of any staff members. We left without even getting a table. On our second visit we were with friends who wanted to go so we tagged along. This time we were served but the food was well below par. I had a tortilla wrap which was soggy and stuck to the plate and a friend had a burger which had the just thawed cardboard texture. When there is so much choice along the South Bank I'm at a loss as to why this place is always so busy. Plain food and indifferent service. read more

I really enjoy all Giraffe restaurants and this one is one of my favourites because of its great location. Set on the South Bank, this is the ideal place to go to for an early dinner or brunch on a Sunday. Talking of brunch, you have to try their pancake stack with blueberries- its amazing! Their lunch and dinner menu is also great, with delicious burgers normally stealing my vote. As with many chains, service can sometimes be a bit impersonal, but I have generally been quite impressed with it on the various occasions I have visited. read more

We went here with the kids. There was quite a long wait with different people looking after you - all very nice and helpful but confusing. Cocktails were OK with some non-alcoholic versions for the kids. Burgers were pretty tasty and satitisfying. Certainly not 'fine dining' but for a not too expensive meal with the kids it was fine. We sat outside and absorbed the buzz from the South Bank read more

Though I was initially quite impressed by this chain when it emerged a few years ago- since it expanded the quality of the food and service can vary between branches. I took an 11 year old here for dinner and the service was great despite the fact the restaurant was really busy at the time. The kids' menu is well priced- my companion has a bigger appetite than me so I we ordered one adult burger and one kids' and then did a swap. The burgers, a salad, two drinks and one kids' dessert came to £20 which is reasonable but my burger was burnt and even the adults' portion came with very few fries. I think the food let them down this time. But it's still a great place to bring kids- we didn't feel rushed out of there and the crayons and activity sheet they provided were a useful diversion. As there is a general buzz about the place you can play games etc at your table without disturbing the people around you at all. read more

We were walking late around Southbank and as I've seen the Giraffe chain around before in airports etc. and I assumed it was a popular moderately priced restaurant and picked to eat there. The waitress was very friendly. I ordered the Rodeo Chicken Burger. The chicken breast was (suspiciously) enormous yet still horribly horribly dry and tasteless. I got the impression it had sat under lights for a long time or been reheated - in any case it didn't taste very fresh. Everything was remarkably tasteless and I had to fill it with ketchup (which is preset on the table 'greasy spoon' style) to inject some flavour. I have paid £5 for beef burgers that were delicious so really £13 is nothing short of a rip-off. On top of that there was an "optional" service charge which I folded out of view but the different waiter that was now serving us ceremoniously unfolded it and charged it without asking (do I assume that the waiting staff are also ripped off by Giraffe and they rely on tips rather than the salary?) I originally put two stars but then I realised that never in my life will I go back and never will I recommend it to other people. My favourite part was the atmosphere but we were sat outside at the Southbank so I can't really accredit them even with that: one star it is! read more

Giraffe is a restaurant, coffee shop and bar. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks suitable for children and adults alike, although be careful visiting weekend afternoons - I have been caught out twice with very noisy childrens partys - great fun but no good when meeting friends for a chat and catch up! The food is very good with a variety to suit. Portion size is quite large with the possibility of purchasing side dishes if necessary. The staff are very helpful without bothering you. Keen to find you an appropriate table, provide drinks and menus and clear tables quickly. Be prepared to queue, it does get busy and if visiting during peak periods you may need to wait, but I would recommend this - Service and quality excellent and during summer months it is very pleasant sitting outside. read more

Dinner wasn't great or any of us (3 people). We ordered 2 Katsus and pasta from the menu. Neither of them was great. However, the service was really good and the waiter was very nice to us. Wouldn't recommend tho, this is mainly because the quality of the food is way under the price you are paying. On the positive part: good location and nice atmosphere. read more

Pretty standard food - as we arrived at 10pm the staff were preoccupied with closing and we had to try quite hard to summon them to order/get the bill/pay the bill read more

Went here with friends afterwork. Very much enjoyed the cocktails and reasonably priced. Food was also good, I recommend the burger and sweet potato fries! Only down side was the slow service. This giraffe is very big and often full to the brim with people therefore we got a little forgotten by the staff. This might be because we were in the outside area. read more

We stumbled upon this restaurant by accident! Giraffe is situated on the South Bank alongside a select few other restaurants. It was very busy but we were seated within fifteen minutes. Service was quick and there was a large range of food on the menu. I had the steak which was ok but not worth the price. They serve large sides which is a bonus. Overall good experience. read more

So an interesting visit to Giraffe yesterday! We ordered a burger (half price on Tuesdays) some duck noodles and some onion rings. So all started well enough although the burger was a little small. Halfway through my noodles I found what I thought was a bit of seaweed only to find on closer inspection actually a long thin piece of metal. We advised the waitress who took the dish away immediately, the manager then came over instantly and offered an apology the offer to take my dish off the bill and free dessert. At the time this seemed like a good idea but the dessert was very underwhelming and the cookies burnt. Really couldn't be bothered to complain again so paid revised bill and left. So staff very pleasant but probably wouldn't visit again as wasn't blown away by the food even before we found the metal. read more

I was there 1 week ago with some friends.They took 20 min to give us the menu. The customer service was lacking. We didn´t know nothing about the restaurant before but as I can see, we are not the only people affected for the bad service. A good underutilized site. read more

One of the worst meals that I've had since living in London. Terrible I.P.A. Terrible Falafel burger. Terrible sweet potato fries. Terrible Rioja. This place is not managed well enough to operate on this large of a scale. The restaurant is enormous and service was lacking. I've been to other locations in and outside of London, locations that I'd give 3 stars, but this location was just unacceptable in terms of food and service. Sadly, restaurants like these stay afloat on account of location and nearby tourism. read more

An overexcited bunch of us stopped in here for a late evening feed after having a few drinks nearby. It's the biggest outpost of this crowd-pleasing chain that I've been in - with the volume levels to match! Sadly we were seated in a booth in the very furthest corner so couldn't enjoy the river views - but we weren't complaining, more just happy to get a seat. We got the feed we were after - I can't say it was particularly inspiring or exciting, but it did the job in satisfying some of the fussier eaters I was with. My burger was ok and the sweet potato fries delicious (can always rely on them!). Annoyingly we'd missed their half price 'bar buddies' cocktails time pre 7pm but maybe that's something for next time. The service was a little flustered as you'd expect given the number of people in there and one of our orders arrived about 5mins later than all the other mains. It was tough to get their attention too but that might've had more to do with being seated in a back corner. Nothing unforgiveable then - but nothing to make me rush back either. read more

The Jamaican short ribs had absolutely no flavor and I'm pretty sure the stir fry my wife had and I tried got us both sick the next day! Great service but awful food at least for us last night! read more

My girlfriend brought me here for my birthday, having spent a boozy day laying in the park! We continued the theme by ordering two of their famous cocktails. Their gin berry sling was absolutely phenomenal and had me feeling quite merry after every mouthful! This was followed by a lovely mezze-style plate of starters that we could not fault, and big portions of enchillades for her, with a perfect rib eye steak for me, cooked blue, just how I like it. The service was excellent, not too fussy, but really friendly and ever so cheerful. We'll go back again, but be prepared to queue outside, since it is VERY popular. Well worth the wait though - you'll only be out there for 10 minutes or so. read more

Went for breakfast after an early ride on the London Eye. Service was good, food was very good. Smoothies and nice breakfast selections makes this a great stop. Breakfast served until noon helps also. read more

Very busy at lunchtime with a 30 minute wait for table. Fast service when we were seated and the food was great. Just the correct portion sizes and clean plates all round. Will visit again. read more

Really mediocre. Beer was warm, food wasn't hot. Slaw was WAY over salted. Much better places to eat in London.